Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 18, 2017, for service connection of various conditions were denied.,Claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, left knee meniscal injury, PTSD, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and a left knee scar were also denied.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for meningioma (claimed as pituitary tumor), sleep apnea, and hypertension are remanded due to the need for a dose estimate related to potential radiation exposure during his military service.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals related to the claims of service connection for psychotic depressive reaction, emotional instability, psychophysiological disorder, and application to reopen claim for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD has been denied.,A rating of 50 percent, but not higher, for PTSD throughout the appeal period is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to conflicting opinions and lack of medical evidence addressing whether his OSA is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected GERD.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 28, 2012 for the award of a 50 percent rating for sleep apnea. The decision is based on the requirement that a breathing assistance device was required for treatment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to PTSD, and has remanded the issues regarding low back disability, peripheral neuropathy, onychomycosis of the feet, and skin disability.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection for sprain, both ankles is granted. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied. The claims of increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (lumbosacral disability), cervical strain, and coronary artery disease (CAD) are remanded. The claims of service connection for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hand disability, and right hand disability are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to TBI, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, sleep apnea, bulging disc, and lumbar strain have been reopened but remain denied. The cases are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete information regarding his periods of active duty, inactive duty training, and National Guard service. The Veteran is also advised that he must provide authorization for VA to obtain any private medical records relevant to his claims.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. Service connection for tinnitus is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a respiratory disorder (to include sleep apnea) due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there is no evidence linking his current condition to service, including deployment experiences.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for RA, parathyroidism, and sleep apnea. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to rheumatoid arthritis is denied.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 90 percent from June 18, 2015 is denied. The Board finds the Regional Office properly calculated the Veteran’s combined rating, which is now 80 percent effective June 18, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of his service-connected lumbosacral strain with posttraumatic arthritis was granted, effective from July 26, 2007 to October 4, 2012. The rating is set at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper extremity disability, pes planus, right great toe injury, and sleep apnea due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including those related to undiagnosed illnesses from Southwest Asia service, have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of qualifying chronic disability due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and headaches are found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The Board also finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, warranting a TDIU from March 6, 2017.